Others the Syren Sisters warble round, And empty heads console with empty sound. No more, alas! the voice of fame they hear, The balm of dulness trickling in their ear. Great C**, H**, P**, R**, K*, Why all your toils? your sons have learn'd to sing How quick ambition hastes to ridicule: The sire is made a peer, the son a fool. On some, a priest succinct in amice white Attends; all flesh is nothing in his sight! Beeves, at his touch, at once to jelly turn, And the huge boar is shrunk into an urn: The board with specious miracles he loads, Turns hares to larks, and pigeons into toads. Another (for in all what one can shine?) Explains the sève and verdeur of the vine.556 What cannot copious sacrifice atone? Thy truffles, Perigord! thy hams, Bayonne! With French libation, and Italian strain, Wash Bladen white, and expiate Hays's stain.560 Knight lifts the head; for what are crowds undone, To three essential partridges in one? REMARKS. 556 Sève and verdeur] French terms relating to wines, which signify their flavour and poignancy. 560 --Bladen-Hays] Names of gamesters. Bladen is a black man.-Robert Knight, Cashier of the South Sea Company, who fled from England in 1720 (afterwards pardoned in 1742). These lived with the utmost magnificence at Paris, and kept open tables frequented by persons of the first quality of England, and even by princes of the blood of France. Colonel Martin Bladen (uncle of Collins the poet) was a man of some literature, and translated Cæsar's Commentaries. Gone every blush, and silent all reproach, Some, deep freemasons, join the silent race, Then, blessing all, Go, children of my care! To practice now from theory repair. All my commands are easy, short, and full: The bishop, stow (pontific luxury !) More she had spoke, but yawn'd-All nature What mortal can resist the yawn of gods? [nods; Churches and chapels instantly it reach'd; (St. James's first, for leaden Gilbert preach'd,) Then catch'd the Schools; the Hall scarce kept awake; 608 The Convocation gap'd, but could not speak : And chiefless armies doz'd out the campaign; REMARKS. 608 Gilbert Dr. Gilbert, Archbishop of York, who had attacked Dr. King of Oxford, whom Pope much respected. O Muse! relate (for you can tell alone, Wits have short memories, and dunces none), Relate who first, who last, resign'd to rest; 621 Whose heads she partly, whose completely blest, What charms could faction, what ambition lull, The venal quiet, and intrance the dull; [wrongTill drown'd was sense, and shame, and right, and O sing, and hush the nations with thy song! In vain, in vain-the all-composing hour Resistless falls; the Muse obeys the power. She comes! she comes! the sable throne behold Of Night primeval, and of Chaos old! Before her Fancy's gilded clouds decay, And all its varying rainbows die away. Wit shoots in vain its momentary fires, The meteor drops, and in a flash expires. As one by one, at dread Medea's strain, The sickening stars fade off th' ethereal plain; As Argus' eyes, by Hermes' wand opprest, Clos'd one by one to everlasting rest; IMITATIONS. 637 621 Relate who first, who last, resign'd to rest: Whose heads she partly, whose completely blest] 'Quem telo primum, quem postremum aspera Virgo Dejicis? aut quot humi morientia corpora fundis?' 687 As Argus' eyes,' &c.] 'Et quamvis sopor est oculorum parte receptus, Parte tamen vigilat -Vidit Cyllenius omnes Succubuisse oculos,' &c. VIRG. OVID. MET. II. Thus at her felt approach, and secret might, In vain! they gaze, turn giddy, rave, and die. Nor public flame, nor private, dares to shine; 26 |